SUPA IGA NPL Men’s 2 Round 11 Review – The Teenage Revolution

Well, here we are at the halfway point of the competition and while the matches have been very entertaining and highly competitive up to this point, we can expect to see an increase in the intensity of every game from now on as the teams strive to gain the best possible result from every weekend with the aim of gaining a place in the finals series..
The rain that started late on Saturday caused a minimal disruption to the fixture list with only four matches remaining unplayed.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Overview
Mt Druitt Town Rangers collected all eighteen points when they hosted Macarthur Rams and Mounties Wanderers took fourteen points from their home games against St George.
Bankstown Berries pocketed eleven points when they were visited by neighbouring Bankstown City Lions while Parramatta FC and Fraser Park shared the spoils at nine points apiece.
Sydney University bagged all twelve of the points from the four games they played against Northern Tigers and Hills Brumbies claimed eight points from their four matches against Spirit FC.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Club Championship
It looks as though the top two clubs will fight it out for the title as they currently have a handy lead over the chasing pack. Sydney University have a lead of two points at the moment over Mt Druitt Town Rangers who have four matches in hand. The Rangers are fourteen points ahead of Spirit FC who hold an advantage of seven points over Hills Brumbies. And then there is a gap of six points to fifth placed Mounties Wanderers who are six points ahead of Bankstown Berries. Although there are twelve points up for grabs each week, it is difficult to see how any of the others can make up the ground to claim a place in the top five by season’s end.
Sydney University started the day as the leaders on this table by a margin of two points and they faced Northern Tigers who were in tenth position. Uni maintained that margin when they took all twelve points from the day, an outcome that has left the Tigers at tenth.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers arrived at this round in second place and their opponents were Macarthur Rams who were placed ninth on the table. Rangers were able to keep pace with the leaders when they claimed all twelve points from this fixture and that means that the Rams have remained at ninth.
Before a ball was kicked on the weekend Spirit FC were in third position and Hills Brumbies were thirteen points further back in fourth place. Spirit held onto third place despite being able to take only two points from this encounter while the Brumbies used their eight points to remain at fourth and to narrow the gap between the clubs to seven points.
 
Mounties Wanderers were placed fifth before the first whistle sounded on the day and St George were only eight points further back at seventh. When the Wanderers earned eight points from this clash the remained at fifth while the Saints have dropped back to eighth.
Bankstown Berries came into this round in sixth position and they faced a local derby with Bankstown City Lions who were eleventh. The Berries are still in sixth spot after they shared the points at five apiece with the Lions who are still in eleventh position.
As the day dawned Fraser Park were in eighth position and Parramatta FC were twelfth. Fraser Park climbed one place up the ladder to seventh when they secured nine points from the day and that has left Parramatta at the foot of the table.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 12
A glance at this table last Friday night revealed that it was split into two groups. It looked as if the top three would battle it out for the title and the pecking order for the finals series. Then there was a group of six teams separated by only three points and there was every indication that they would fight it out for the remaining places in the finals series. While there was no change to the structure of the top group over the weekend, there is now a spread of five points within the second group.
Before a ball was kicked Sydney University were the competition frontrunners on goal difference and they had won their last three matches while Northern Tigers were in sixth position and they were coming off a last-match loss. Uni now lead the way by two points after they were 5-2 winners in this match and that has forced the Tigers back to seventh place. Uni had raced out to a 5-1 lead before the interval but then the Tigers rolled up their sleeves to keep their opponents scoreless in the second half and to add a goal to their own tally. Those goals for the Tigers were scored by W. Di Martino and M. Symons.
Hills Brumbies started this game in second place on goal difference and they had recovered from their second loss on the trot with a win last week while Spirit FC were only one point further back in third place and they had not lost since they went down on the opening day of the season. Given the similarities of the attacking and defensive records of the teams, it came as no surprise that this game ended in a scoreless draw and that meant that they both stayed exactly where they were on the table.
Placed fourth at kick-off time, Fraser Park had two games in hand and they had battled out a draw in their last game before last week’s wash-out. They were up against twelfth placed Parramatta FC who were yet to earn their first point for this campaign. Fraser Park remained in fourth position when they established a 3-0 lead before the break and then took the final score to a 5-0 victory over Parramatta who are still at the foot of the ladder. Providing the goals in this match were M. Reed (2), R. Tran-Huynh, L. Lipman and J. Epshteyn.
St George were in fifth position on goal difference when this game started and they had won their last two outings before being washed out last week. Mounties Wanderers were just one point further back at seventh and they had collected points from their last four matches with two wins and two draws. The Saints and the Wanderers battled out a scoreless draw this week and that has forced the Saints back to sixth spot and the Wanderers back to ninth.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers were in seventh position when the first whistle sounded and they had recovered from a three-match losing streak with a win in their last game before being washed out last week. Macarthur Rams were five points further back in tenth place and they had only a draw to show for their last four matches. The Rangers moved up to fifth when they posted a 2-0 success this week, an outcome that has left the Rams at tenth. Both goals for the Rangers came in the second half and they were scored by E. Tsakos and G. Crissani.
Bankstown Berries came into this game in ninth position and they were coming off a last-match win while Bankstown City Lions were eleventh and they had suffered a loss last week after winning two of their previous three matches. Unfortunately, the Lions forfeited this match and that gifted the Berries a 3-0 win, lifting them to eighth place. The Lions have remained at eleventh.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 13
As the sun rose on Saturday this table had an interesting look about it as the first seven teams were separated by a mere seven points and the next three teams were not all that far away. However, as if to prove that things can change dramatically in the blink of an eye, that group of teams chasing places in the finals series grew to eight teams over the weekend and there is now a spread of ten points. The ninth placed team is not far away and they could yet figure in the chase.
Bankstown Berries held the lead on this table by a margin of three points at kick-off time and they had seen their six-match winning streak come to a halt a fortnight ago before bouncing back with a draw last week. Bankstown City Lions were in twelfth position and they had lost their last three games. The Berries were able to maintain their lead when they claimed a 5-0 victory in this match and that has left the Lions at the foot of the table. Interestingly, all the goals in this match came in the second half.
Mounties Wanderers started this game in second place and they had posted a draw ands a win in their last two outings while St George were three points further back in sixth position and they were coming off a last-match loss before being washed out last week. The Wanderers are still sitting in second spot after they came up with a 2-0 win and the Saints have managed to hold onto sixth place. The Wanderers scored a goal in each half and their scorers were Nicholas Pangallo and Damian Kalatzis.
Sydney University kicked off this game in third place after they had bounced back from their second loss with a win in their last game while Northern Tigers were tenth and they had broken a four-game losing streak with a win in their last match before being washed out last week. Uni gained a two goal advantage before the interval in this match and while they did not add to their tally in the second half, it was enough to ensure that they retained third position.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers arrived at this match in fourth position and they had won their last two outings before last week’s wash-out. Macarthur Rams were right behind them at fifth on goal difference and their only loss was way back in Round 2 with three wins and four draws on their record since then. This week the Rangers scored twice in the first half to post a 2-0 final scoreline and that kept them in fourth place while the Rams have held onto fifth. Both goals were scored by J. Roberts.
When the first whistle sounded Spirit FC were in seventh position and they had won their last two games while Hills Brumbies were five points further back at ninth and they were coming off a last-match loss. While there was no change in the position of either team on the ladder this week, the Brumbies have closed the gap to two points following their 2-0 victory. The goals were scored in the first half thanks to strikes from J. Anderson and B. Crossor.
Parramatta FC came into this match in eighth place and they had lost their last match while Fraser Park were eleventh and they were also coming off a last-match loss before they were washed out last week. Parramatta had established a 2-0 lead before the break and they maintained that status through to the final whistle to retain eighth position and leave Fraser Park at eleventh.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 14
While the competition leaders had developed a healthy margin coming into this round, the following pack was quite interesting. There were only six points between second and ninth places before a ball was kicked so it was certain that there would be a considerable amount of jostling for position from this week onward. As a result of Saturday’s matches, the leaders have maintained their eight-point margin but the gap between second and ninth has been now stretched to eight points.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers came into this game as the competition leaders and they had established a lead of eight points thanks to their record of eight wins and a draw from nine matches. In addition, the Rangers had scored a lot more goals than any other team. Macarthur Rams were in tenth position and they had won two of their last three games. While the Rangers claimed the points this week, the 1-0 scoreline was a bit closer than some folk would have expected especially since the winning goal did not arrive until the second half and the scorer was C. Ribeiro. Both teams have remained exactly where they were on the table.
Hills Brumbies were in second place at kick-off time after their five-game unbeaten run had ended with last week’s loss while Spirit FC were two points further back at fifth and they had broken a five-match run of losses with a win last week. When the Brumbies were held to a scoreless draw on Saturday they slipped back to third place while Spirit have remained at fifth.
Sydney University began the day in third place on goal difference and they had won their last two matches while Northern Tigers were twelfth and they had lost their last four outings. Uni scored three times before the interval and then added one in the second half to register a solid 4-0 victory and that was enough to take them up to second place, leaving the Tigers at the foot of the table.
Mounties Wanderers arrived at this match in fourth position and they had taken points from their last three games while St George were eighth and their three-match run of wins had been broken by a last-match loss before last week’s game was washed out. The Mounties held onto fourth place and the Saints are still eighth after the teams fought out a scoreless draw on Saturday.
Bankstown City Lions kicked off this game in sixth place on goal difference after they had posted a win and a draw from their last two outings while Bankstown Berries were four points further back at ninth following losses in their last two matches. When this week’s match ended in a 2-2 draw, doubling the half-time scoreline, both teams remained where they were on the table.
 
Fraser Park were in seventh position when the first whistle sounded and they had won the two matches immediately before last week’s wash-out. Parramatta FC were eleventh after losing their last three games. Fraser Park made it three in a row when they produced a 2-0 success with both goals being scored in the first half. That leaves then at seventh and Parramatta are still in eleventh position. Both goals in this match were scored b A. Small.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 15
Even the briefest glimpse at this table on Saturday morning revealed that there were two distinct groups in this age grade. The top three teams were covered by a gap of only three points are it seemed certain that they would do battle for the title. Then there was a gap of nine points in the second group which included the teams from fourth to eleventh and there was only five points separating them so it appeared that there would be some serious competition between those teams over the coming weeks. What a difference one day’s play has made! As a result of Saturday’s matches the top three teams are now separated by six points and the gap between fourth and twelfth is now only eight points.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers started the day as the competition leaders by a margin of three points and they had enjoyed a dream run of nine wins from nine matches. Macarthur Rams were in ninth position and they had collected points from their last three games after registering two draws from their previous six outings. The Rangers took their perfect record to ten from ten on Saturday when they were 5-0 winners, maintaining their place at the top of the ladder and leaving the Rams at ninth. The result was never in doubt as Mt Druitt had a 3-0 lead at half-time. He hat-trick scorer for the Rangers was S. Roberts while M. Sowa and L. Devaney scored the other two goals.
Sydney University were in second place on goal difference and they had won their last three games after a two-match losing streak had ended their run of five wins. Northern Tigers were in eighth position following a win in their last game. Uni made it four wins on the trot with a 2-1 victory this week after leading 1-0 at the break. They are still sitting in second spot and the Tigers have held onto eighth place. The goal for the Tigers was scored by S. Malone.
Spirit FC arrived at this match in third position on goal difference after they had recovered from a loss to win their last two outings while Hills Brumbies were fifth after last week’s loss. Spirit have managed to hold onto third place after they suffered a 3-2 loss to the Brumbies who are still placed fifth. After the Brumbies took a 2-0 lead to the break, Spirit staged a stunning comeback in the second stanza but they fell just a bit short. The goals for the winners were scored by B. Perimov (2) and C. Biehl while R. Wilson and M. Duguid found the net for Spirit.
Fraser Park were in fourth place at kick-off time and they had suffered losses in the two games before last week’s wash-out while Parramatta FC were eleventh and they had also lost their last two matches. Fraser Park bounced back this week to join the winners’ circle with a 2-1 result after the match was locked up at 1-1 at half-time. That was enough to keep Fraser Park at fourth and to leave Parramatta at eleventh.
 
Bankstown Berries came into this match in sixth position following a run of three losses and Bankstown City Lions were twelfth and they were coming off a last-match draw. This week the Lions posted their second win for the season when they came up with a 5-2 result and that has moved them up to tenth position while the Berries have been forced back to seventh. All the goals were scoring in an action-packed second half.
Before the first whistle sounded Mounties Wanderers were in seventh place thanks to a run of a win and two draws while St George were tenth after they had posted draws in two of their last three games. The Wanderers climbed to sixth when they recorded a 2-0 win thanks to second half strikes from Fikret Berisha and Phillip Phongsa. This result has caused the Saints to slip back to twelfth position.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 16
When the weekend began there were only eleven points separating first place from ninth and so it was clear that the competition for places would intensify from this points forward since there only be five places available in the finals series. However, that gap of eleven points now covers the teams from first to seventh, showing how quickly things can change on the table in the space of a weekend.
Mounties Wanderers had a lead of three points at the top of the table when this match commenced after they had collected points from all but one of their previous matches. St George were in ninth position and they had won their last three games. The Wanderers maintained their lead with a 4-0 victory this week thanks to goals from Hamish Callahan (2) and Mitchell Gibbs. The Saints are still in ninth place and their scorer was Dario Travia.
Parramatta FC had lost two of their last three games but they still came into this contest in second place on goal difference while Fraser Park were eleventh and they had lost the two matches immediately before last week’s wash-out. Parramatta held onto second spot when they produced a 2-0 victory this week with their goals coming from M. Saeed and D. Ellul. Fraser Park are still in eleventh place.
Northern Tigers were in third place on goal difference when this match kicked off following a run of four wins while Sydney University were sixth and they had suffered losses in their last two outings. When this match was washed out this week the Tigers retained third place but Uni fell back to eighth place.
Spirit FC arrived at this match in fourth position on goal difference after posting wins in their last three games while Hills Brumbies were five points further back at fifth with victories to show for four of their last five matches. The wash-out of this match has kept Spirit in fourth place and forced the Brumbies back to seventh.
Bankstown Berries started this game in seventh place after last week’s win had broken a run of five losses and they faced Bankstown City Lions who were twelfth and they had lost the two games since their only win. All the goals came in an all-action second half this week when the Berries claimed the points with an 8-2 result and they are now in fifth place while the Lions are still at the foot of the ladder.
 
At the first whistle Mt Druitt Town Rangers were in eighth position and they had won the game immediately before last week’s wash-out while Macarthur Rams were five points further back at tenth after losing their last four matches. The Rangers moved up to sixth when they came up with a 3-2 victory this week while the Rams have remained at tenth The goal scorers for the Rangers were J. Henry, J. Marshall and B. Wright and for the Rams S. Rose and J. Mandous found the net.
Supa IGA NSW National Premier League Men’s 2 – Grade 18
Surprisingly, the day started with the top nine teams were covered by a blanket of only twelve points and that could well mean that all the positions in the finals series will be up for grabs over the coming weeks. That remains true after the weekend but that gap from first to ninth has been stretched to fifteen points.
Mounties Wanderers began the day as the goal difference leaders on this table after they had claimed points from all but one of their ten matches while St George were in seventh position following a last-match loss. The Wanderers held onto the lead thanks to a 4-0 result this week with the goals coming from Benjamin Gray (2), Bradley Oud and David Taha. The Saints have fallen back to eighth.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers came into this game in second place after an unbeaten sequence of seven wins and two draws while Macarthur Rams were in twelfth position and they had ended a seven-game run of losses with last week’s draw. The Rangers claimed the points this week with a 3-0 scoreline and that has help them to remain at second while the Rams are still in twelfth position. Scoring the goals for the winners were J. Dib (2) and O. Edmunds.
Parramatta FC kicked off this game in third position and they were coming off two wins while Fraser Park were sixth and they had won their last match before being washed out last week. Parramatta made it three wins in a row when they took out this week’s match 2-1. Their scorer was T. Bonomy who got both goals while N. Spinola netted fro Fraser Park. Parramatta are still third and Fraser Park are in seventh spot.
Sydney University started the day in fourth place after they had bounced back from a loss with last week’s draw. Northern Tigers were three points further back in fifth position and they had won their last match. When this match was washed out Uni held onto fourth place and the Tigers retained fifth position.
Bankstown Berries were placed eighth at the first whistle and their run of three losses had come to an end with a draw last week while Bankstown City Lions were tenth after a last-game loss. This week the Berries produced a strong 5-0 result and they have moved up to sixth spot while the Lions are still tenth.
Hills Brumbies arrived at this match in ninth position after posting a draw in their last game while Spirit FC were six points further back at eleventh after losing their last four outings. This match was another victim of the weather and both teams have remained exactly where they were on the table.
-By Barry Davis